School leaders from all three systems in Jackson County are calling for a March vote on extending the education special option local sales tax for another five years. Those pennies could bring in up to $100 million by the most optimistic estimates.

The three school systems in Jackson County have called for a vote in March 2011 on another round of sales tax funding for education.

If approved by voters, the education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) is designed to bring in up to $100 million in education funds for the three school systems to share over a five-year period, starting in 2012, although expectations of revenue are actually much lower.

This penny sales tax is different from another round of SPLOST funding approved in November. That SPLOST is expected to provide an estimated $47.5 million for Jackson County and its cities over a six-year period.

And like the other SPLOST for the county and city governments, the E-SPLOST is largely earmarked to pay off existing debt.

(The huge difference in the anticipated amounts $100 million for five years of E-SPLOST vs. $47.5 million for the six-year SPLOST is attributed to revenue estimates. In the case of the school systems, officials will set the estimate so high that there is no danger of reaching the cap — at which time state law would terminate the tax)

“We know — and our community knew — that the E-SPLOST is going to be very important to us — as far as paying off the bonds,” said James “Mac” McCoy, superintendent of the Commerce City School System. “That’s the number one priority for us.”

Overall, the proposed education SPLOST calls for a majority of the funds — up to $53 million among the three school systems in Jackson County — to be used to pay off debt.

With the most students, the Jackson County School System is slated to receive up to $62.6 million of the education SPLOST. Of that, a maximum of $30 million will be earmarked to paying outstanding debt issued through 2005 general obligation bonds.

For the Commerce City School System, the proposed education SPLOST will fund a total of $12.7 million, including $7.2 million to pay off debt.

That debt includes a portion of the 2007 and 2009 general obligation bonds, which were used to build a new Commerce High School, a new track at Commerce Middle School and upgrades at other facilities, according to McCoy.

Besides paying off existing debt, the three school systems have identified a number of other potential projects to be funded by the proposed E-SPLOST.

The language to be put before voters March 15, 2011, includes a long list of potential spending categories — such as land acquisition — but doesn’t include specific details.

All of the districts plan to use education SPLOST money to fund new buses and vehicles, buying textbooks and band equipment, technology upgrades and funding a portion of the Athens-based Rutland Academy, which provides psychoeducational services for schools in Northeast Georgia.

The county system also wants to use its E-SPLOST funds to build a fourth middle school — possibly in the northwestern portion of the county. The Jefferson City School System plans expansion or renovation projects at JHS and JES, while the Commerce City School System wants to replace its heating and air conditioning systems at Commerce Elementary School and Commerce Primary School.

City school board to hold tax rate at 17.75
Posted by Katie Hustonin News
Wednesday, August 11. 2010
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Despite falling tax revenue, the Commerce Board of Education believes it can survive another year without raising the tax rate.

The rate will remain at 17.75 mills where it’s been the past two years. However, during Fiscal Year 2009-2010, the system would have needed to increase the rate to draw the same amount of money as it did in 2008.

To draw the same amount of money this year as last year, the BOE would have had to set the rate at 17.839 mills. Instead, the system will hold the tax rate at 17.75 mills and collect approximately $60,000 less than last year.

Superintendent James “Mac” McCoy believes the system can withstand an unchanged millage rate.

“We’re struggling every day trying to fine-tune our budget,” he said. “I think we’ll be okay in leaving the millage rate at 17.75 and not doing the millage increase.”

Between the city and the school's nobody will have any money left.

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